Be Inspired #178

Hey you all...

Welcome to Be Inspired!

I'm in the "transition mode" here, living in a lease house, so finding inspiration is sometimes a real job. Each week I look forward to seeing what you all are doing out there, so I'm filing away ideas and soaking up all the creativity you bring over here each week. Thank you for making Be Inspired such a fun party, you always show up with the goods! Here are some great posts from last week's party:

Anne from Fiona and Twig

added a Barn Door to the Farmhouse Dining Room.
Watch for news of an upcoming magazine feature
 of Anne's wonderful farmhouse in Fredericksburg.

The Guest Room is ready for Spring

from Laurel at the North End Loft

  Suzanne at The Painted Drawer
is showing some curvy legs. 

If you have a love/hate relationship with the necessities of the kitchen
 you'll love the Shabby French Fridge

from Victoria at Trois Petites Filles

Lovin' these wheels on the Mobile Kitchen Island

from Dawn at Down to Earth Style

Catch all the wonderful Details of Linda's new kitchen

 from Itsy Bits and Pieces.

Oh so pretty Lace-y Teapot 

from Paulette at Summerland Cottage.

and...

What little girl wouldn't love this Pink Pony Cake?

from So Much Better With Age

thanks so much everyone!

Party Guidelines

Please have an individual link back to Common Ground within your post. I'd love to feature you. This is just part of the Party Etiquette.

Please remember to turn off word verification. I've tried leaving comments that didn't go through. I'm sure others have tried also.

Please no direct links to Etsy or Advertising.

Link up to three of your current posts.

Take a minute to visit a few of the other links.

Please be a follower of Common Ground.

Thank you to all of you who come over each week to link up to the party, I may not get to leave a comment, but I try to visit each of your posts. You are a never ending source of inspiration to me and others, so just know how much I appreciate each one of you!

thanks so much for joining in

and making this party so much fun!

Have you entered the Give Away with French Bleu Vintage?

closes Friday Night at midnight.

Click Here

xoxo,

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Kitchen Sitting Room

I was ready to show you a new tabletop vignette I had put together when I realized that I hadn't shown the rest of the Kitchen Sitting Room pics. This space is such a departure from what I had at the other house, but still "my style". I had been concentrating on just whites in the small kitchen eating area, so it was fun to bring in some "woods" over here. I like a mix of the woody tones and whites and neutrals, and having this unexpected space off the kitchen, I have been able to use some pieces I never thought I'd be able to.

This big armoire was in the basement holding quilts and pillows, but since I needed extra storage for pantry items in here, I brought this with us. I had originally hoped to put the tv in here but it took up valuable shelf space, so it's on a separate wicker table.

Yes, it's black on the sides. The girls that had this piece in their shop were spray paint "happy" back before chalk paint came along. They just painted the two sides, (glad they didn't mess with the front of it) but when we get settled, it probably will get a paint makeover...not sure what color.

The two large breadboards are from Antique Farmhouse,

 and the laundry basket is filled with extra linens.

I found the French Cheese sign at Robin's Vintage Suitcase.

This little shepherdess is one of my all-time favorite prints,

it was in the powder room right off the kitchen in the old house.

I love this dark comb painted frame.

I told you about this antique table and chairs here.

It still has initials carved in the top from one of the kiddo's guy friend's.

When I found out, I thought of man-handling him...

good thing he could run really fast.

sorry, sort of blurry

The kitty girls had to find new napping spots here, 

so this is now a fave.

Bonus is that the grain sack replica is burlap,

 so when she's not napping she can chew on it.

(Madonna Pillow from Elliot-Heath Designs)

One of my milkmaid prints is hanging here, 

 the other one had such a heavy frame 

I didn't want to put in the wall anchor for it.

I'm so glad I was able to use this wicker settee that had been on the sunporch.

 It's my new coffee drinking spot first thing in the morning.

An old bench is doubling for a small coffee table.

Just big enough for one of my black tole trays.

Toffee Check Chair Pads from Ballard Designs.

I don't think I've ever shared this old ironstone hexagon shaped tureen bottom;

another basement decor piece.

(I had all kinds of things hidden down there!)

Cute little English Cottage Salt and Pepper.
(you all know I have a little English Cottage thang going on)

Don't forget to enter the Give Away with 
French Bleu Vintage HERE

Joining these Party Places:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Inspiration Exchange at City Farmhouse
From My Front Porch to Yours
French Country Cottage
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Jennifer Rizzo
Sundays at Home with Alice
Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
The Scoop at White Lace Cottage
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Hope you're having a great week, 

March cannot get here fast enough!

The Marketplace: Etsy and Boutique Showcase

Hope you all had a great weekend, and that it was a warmer one. Are you ready for a new week? There were a ton of great links last week. I think everyone is cleaning out their stash and getting it in their shops. If you see something you love listed, jump on it, there were a lot of sales last week. Here are a few from the last linky:

Set Blue Nordic Transferware

Swanky Safari

Lavender Linen Sachets

Timewashed

Repurposed Backgammon Chalkboard

Homeroad

Yellow Enesco Teapot

The Dancing Wren

Vintage Wooden Cigar Boxes

The Zoe Bird

Vintage Perpetual Calender

Elizabeth Wren Studio

Party Link Guidelines:

This is a linky party that is for items that are FOR SALE only. You don't have to have a blog to link up. If you have a blog post about your items that's great too, but they need to be available to purchase. Please try to link to the individual item that you are selling if possible. Please be a follower of Common Ground and if you have a blog it would be so nice for you to grab the image below to share somewhere on your blog. (not mandatory). Remember the link is up all week, so please stop back by to check out new items being listed. Thanks so much for sharing all your great items with us!

Today's Sponsor is

Marionberry Cottage

And if you haven't entered the Give Away 

for the $35.00 Gift Certificate at

  French Bleu Vintage

then Click Here


Also a 25% off sale storewide. use code SAVE25

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

A little gift...

We spent yesterday over at the old house packing, like we have for the last several weekends, and I'm sure for the next few months... I have to say it's slow going. The house is a mess, we're working hard but the pace is just tedious. When it's quiet and I'm working by myself my mind starts to wander and I think about what was happening last year at this time. What was I doing, and what was I blogging about? What was taking up my focus, was I "happy" and appreciating each day? Did I realize that in just a few months I would be in the middle of this seeming chaos?

Today was a little sad for some reason, I took out bird seed for the locals, but there were only my two little cardinals that came down to feed. I miss the birds and even the rotten squirrels that hang around and gobble everything up. I miss my daily routine, I miss my view from the kitchen window, that kept me up on what was happening with the weather and who was hanging out at the feeder. Even though I'm looking forward to the good things that are coming, I'm realizing that it doesn't hurt to hold those things from the past close to your heart.

I looked back through my photo gallery and here are some pics from exactly a year ago today. Funny, I didn't show this little needlework piece at that time. It didn't seem all that interesting, just an unsigned little work that wasn't particularly artistic or "good". It has been hanging on my kitchen wall for at least 5 years, and I've read it many times, but today looking back and seeing it in a photo, it spoke to me in a more meaningful way.

 This is what was happening exactly a year ago, a terrible day of snow and sleet, and some hungry little critters.

See my little girl friend under the wagon?

It was really coming down and she was taking shelter from the storm.

Goldfinches, Purple finches, Wrens, and Bluebirds.

One of my sweet girls enjoying the view with me.

Just wanted to share this day with you, just wanted to share that little thought with you; that each day is indeed a gift. We might not know the importance of it at the moment, but looking back with a different perspective, we see that it truly is a blessing. And maybe, hopefully, in a year from now, I will look back at yesterday and see that day for what it really was.

If you haven't entered the Give Away with French Bleu Vintage, then click here. Adrian has so many beautiful things in her store. She's giving away a $35.00 Gift Certificate and has a 25% sale going on storewide. Hope you'll run by for a vist.

 joining in on these great parties:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Make it a special day,

xoxo,